Systems have been developed heretofore for determining locomotor activity of laboratory animals. Hence after a particular exterior or administered stimulus, such as diet variation, a stimulant, drugs, period of time, environment or otherwise has been administered to a laboratory animal or the animal subjected thereto, the animal activity may be related to the effect of the stimulus. Study of the locomotor behavioral activity can then be used to predict similar animal or related human response to the stimulus. Earlier devices and methods have involved, like the present invention, recording of animal movement, using electrical means for detecting and analyzing same. It is believed, however, that the present invention represents an improvement thereover.
Illustrative of earlier prior art techniques is the Castaigne U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,413. Castaigne shows a housing having a rod floor with each rod having an electrically conductive center portion therethrough. Castaigne utilizes an electrical field that is obtained from line current such as 60 Hertz (50 Hertz in Europe) and generates a signal responsive to the animal contact with a sensing surface located in the electrical field. The Castaigne device is in general, quite similar to a "touch switch" that is commonly used for elevators to call the elevator to a particular floor or to signal the elevator to proceed to a particular floor. Insofar as the Castaigne device is concerned, contact once recorded must thereafter be broken before a further response is detected.
The Stigmark et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,456, is a further device that has been produced. Stigmark et al utilizes an alternating current electrical bridge and detects changes in capacitance across the bridge to produce a recordable response therefrom. The type responses recorded are set to be highly sensitive or of low sensitivity to detect large or small movements.
A further analagous system is a speed measuring device of Zipser, U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,083, that is used to determine a rate of speed and/or distance covered by a person running in place. An electrical pulse is generated with each footfall which is then used to produce a signal that is discrete insofar as repetitiveness and is calculated as to duration so as to determine both distance and speed.
Applicant's device on the other hand, is believed to be yet another approach with improved potential for measuring the behavioral activity of laboratory animals. A signal input is produced for a recorder, computer or the like which may be later analyzed to evaluate activity of the test animal.